CARTOON DRAWINGS OF THE THREE LEADERS OF SOUTH VIETNAM'S MILITARY JUNTA WERE NAILED TO EXECUTION STAKES IN SAIGON'S CENTRAL MARKET PLACE ON THURSDAY AS THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS DEMONSTRATED AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.

THE MASS DEMONSTRATION, AIMED AT FORCING THE JUNTA TO HAND OVER POWER TO AN ELECTED CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT, WAS THE SECOND AND BIGGEST ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATION IN SAIGON IN THE LAST WEEK. ORGANISED BY BUDDHIST YOUTH MEMBERS, THE DEMONSTRATIONS FOLLOW ALMOST THREE WEEKS OF SIMILAR DISPLAYS OF OPPOSITION IN THE NORTHERN CITIES OF HUE AND DA NANG.

AS STUDENT LEADERS ADDRESSED THE CROWD, CRUDE DRAWINGS, DEPICTING PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN CAO KY, CHIEF OF STATE NGUYEN VAN THIEU AND DEFENCE MINISTER NGUYEN HUU CO, WERE NAILED TO THE MARKET'S EXECUTION POSTS. MANY OF THE DEMONSTRATORS CARRIED BANNERS SAYING "VIETNAM BELONGS TO THE VIETNAMESE" AND "WE WANT THE U.S. TO BE OUR FRIEND, NOT OUR BOSS".

YESTERDAY (FRIDAY), PRIME MINISTER KY OUTLAWED DEMONSTRATIONS AND STRIKES AND DECLARED THAT HE WOULD END ANTI-GOVERNMENT DISORDERS AGAINST THE MILITARY JUNTA OR RESIGN. THE PRIME MINISTER SAID THAT ALL FUTURE DEMONSTRATIONS AND STRIKES WOULD BE ILLEGAL AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD USE ANY MEANS TO STOP THEM - EVEN FORCE.